In this issue:

UNITED NATIONS IN KYRGYZSTAN

• Engaging Private Sector: UN Report Presented at the Investment Summit

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)

• Regional Poverty Reduction Strategies: Sharing Experience Between the Neighboring Countries

UNITED NATIONS IN KYRGYZSTAN

Engaging Private Sector: UN Report Presented at the Investment Summit

The UN Report “Unleashing Entrepreneurship: Making Business Work for the Poor” was presented at the Investment Summit which took place 15-16 July in Kyrgyzstan.

Over thirty high-level officials, representatives of donor organizations and prominent businessmen gathered in the presidential residence of Cholpon-Ata (Issyk-Kul Lake) to discuss those national issues, once successfully resolved are expected to attract more investment to Kyrgyzstan.

Among the issues discussed were investment marketing; land and immovable property as an object of investment; tax policy and tax administration; deregulation of economy; and good governance.

Building on the UN Secretary General’s recent report on the same topic, UN Resident Coordinator Jerzy Skuratowicz outlined, in his presentation “Global Partnership: Unleashing Entrepreneurship for Human and Economic Development”, the basic conditions for private sector development; major areas where reforms should be strengthened in order to achieve success in a market economy and specific activities by UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic to support the Government’s efforts in human development and economic growth, as well as good governance at the national and local levels.

The presentation also tackled issues related to curbing corruption with findings and recommendations from the recent UNDP/OSCE/USAID anti-corruption mission to Kyrgyzstan and the upcoming project to support open and fair elections.

“It is vital that the partnership will progress from mere information sharing and consulting meetings to profound and all-round cooperation, including joint discussion of problems, policy decision making and monitoring of results,” - said Mr. Skuratowicz.

“The basis is not only mutual intention and trust, but also mutual responsibility,” he added.

The Investment Summit participants received copies of the Secretary General’s Report “Unleashing Entrepreneurship: Making Business Work for the Poor” and other analytical materials on the issue.

Both the presentation and documents distributed, aroused high interest among the participants, because they covered the major problems under discussion in the summit and contained solutions with references to best practices both in the Kyrgyz Republic achieved through UNDP expertise and internationally.

Mr. Skuratowicz’s presentation was highly appreciated both during the ensuing discussion and in the closing remarks by the Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev, who more than once referred to and supported the conclusions and recommendations from the UN materials and the presentation.

Note: the story is supplied with poster of Ms. Tatiana Zrajevskaya, winner of the competition within the MDG Student Festival took place in May in Bishkek.

For more information, please contact Mr. Leonid Komarover, UNDP Senior Policy Advisor. Tel.: 0 (996 312) 61-12-13. Fax: 0 (996 312) 61-12-17. Email: or Ms. Olga Grebennikova, UNDP Public Affairs Officer at the same phones. Email:

UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (UNDP)

Regional Poverty Reduction Strategies: Sharing Experience Between the Neighboring Countries

A group of specialists representing the key state agencies involved into realization of the National Poverty Reduction Strategy in Kyrgyzstan visited Kazakhstan with UNDP support.

The main goal of the six day study trip (30 May – 5 June) was to share experience in the area of poverty reduction and formulation of the National and regional policies in this area.

Representatives of the Ministry of Economy, of the CDF-Secretariat (Comprehensive Development Framework) under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Ministry of Finance, the Bishkek Mayor’s Office, the Osh Province State Administration, the UNDP Poverty Reduction Programme as well as national experts from NGOs discussed priority issues of territorial development with their colleagues from key ministries, NGO sector and international organizations in Kazakh capital Astana.

The participants shared their experience in realization of various strategic initiatives in the area of poverty reduction. The Kazakh delegation presented their expertise in the development of regional strategies on poverty reduction while they took great interest in the experience on social mobilization mechanism applied in Kyrgyzstan.

The Kazakh side also introduced a new computer based system, which maps the level of poverty and tracks the progress in poverty reduction in every province of the country. The system is online accessible and frequently updated by state officials.

The discussion was followed by a visit to Kyzyl-Orda in Southern Kazakhstan, one of the poorest Kazakh provinces where a model monitoring system is applied within the regional poverty reduction strategy.

Taking into consideration that in Kyrgyzstan the process of Regional Poverty Reduction Strategy for Osh Province design is on the way one of the main results of this visit was to exchange know how in congruence of policies, elaboration of integrated approaches as well as effective instruments in territorial strategies of poverty reduction.

The Kyrgyz delegation could see also how the application of the electronic database was working on the ground and how it supports the decision making process of on the regional and central level.

The regional poverty reduction strategy for Osh province will be the first territorial approach in Kyrgyzstan. It is being developed by a team of national experts and was initiated by the Osh State Administration with support of UNDP and in close partnership with CDF Secretariat.

For more information, please contact Ms. Aikan Mukanbetova, UNDP Programme Office. Tel: 0 (996 312) 61-12-13. Fax: 0 (996 312) 61-12-17. Email: , or Ms. Nuria Choibaeva, Manager of the UNDP Poverty Reduction Programme. Tel: (996 312) 66-38-85, e-mail: